PHOENIX – Almost 20 years have passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. First responders say the moment in history needs to be honored more than once a year, which is why a ceremony was held at the Hall of Flame Museum in Phoenix on Sunday.
The ceremony included stories from firefighters who were there that day and a walking tour of the museum in honor of those who lost their lives. For the past few months, the museum has had a replica of the World Trade Center Plaza created by a teenager in the Netherlands. The nonprofit Honor 365 is taking it on a tour of the country and is now heading to New Mexico.
The ceremony on Sunday partially granted the replica’s departure. But there is still a piece of real history that you can see at the museum in Phoenix every day of the year.
Fire Rescue 4 was salvaged from the junkyard and is now on display in the museum. Mark Anello, a volunteer at the museum, says he made it his business to restore it.
“We worked on it for two years and here it is right now,” said Anello. “Two of the other trucks were totally destroyed. Two of them were pretty badly damaged. This one survived best because it was parked a little further away. If you were in one of those ambulances that day, one of the five, you died.”
Anello says the truck’s tragic backstory is important to remember year-round.
“It’s very important because we want to keep the legacy alive, we don’t want people to forget what happened that terrible day,” he said.
If you want to see it, the Hall of Flame Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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